Cartons

ABSTRACT

A carton having a lid hinged to the rear wall and arranged to cover the mouth and parts of the front and sidewalls of the carton is provided with an internal tubular liner an end portion of which is bellows folded and overlies a closure panel infolded from the top of the front wall of the carton, and the top of the lid, when closed, overlies the bellows folded portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right angles to the sides of the body.

United States Patent 2,422,899 6/1947 Hogdal Kenneth Knapton Davies Chorleywood, England Sept. 25, 1968 May 25, 1971 The Metal Box Company Limited London, England Sept. 29, 1967 Great Britain lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority CARTONS 6 Claims, 13 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl

229/44 Int. Cl 865d Field of Search 229/14 (BA), 14 (BI), 14 (B), 44 (CB), 45, 51 (WE) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,858 9/1947 Hogdal 229/14(BA) 2,922,565 l/l960 Roderick et al. 229/44(CB) 2,951.627 9/1960 Wenzel 229/44(CB) 3,051,367 8/1962 Einhorn.... 229/14(B) 3,187,976 6/1965 Struble 229/5l(WB)X 3,206,094 9/1965 Humphery et al. 229/14(BA) 3,438,564 4/1969 Moreton 229/44(CD)X Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorneyimirie and Smiley ABSTRACT: A carton having a lid hinged to the rear wall and arranged to cover the mouth and parts of the front and sidewalls of the carton is provided with an internal tubular liner an end portion of which is bellows folded and overlies a closure panel infolded from the top of the front wall of the carton, and the top of the lid, when closed, overlies the bellows folded portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right angles to the sides of the body.

PATENTEDMAYZSISYI 3,580,465

sum 1 [IF 4 6" r9 I I 0 Inuanlu KENNETH K. oAwEs By y Attorney PATENTEU HAY25 I971 'SHEET 2 [IF 4 KENNETH K DAVfES '1 L 1 Allorneyg PATENTEDHAYZSIQH 3,580,465

I nvlnlor KENNETH K. DAviss A "army;

PATENTEU HAYZS I971 SHEET U [1F 4 Inventor 2 KENNETH K. oAviss By K 1 Allornry CARTONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cartons and in particular to a foursided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged respectively to overlie the front and the sides of the body.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton of the kind above mentioned with a tubular liner the mouth of which can be reclosed after opening.

SUMMARY According to the invention there is provided a four-sided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged respectively to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged to overlie the front and the sides of the body, wherein a tubular liner is housed in the body, a closure panel hinged to the mouth end of the front wall is infolded to overlie mouth side flaps infolded from the sidewalls, an end portion of the liner is bellows folded and overlies the infolded closure panel, and the top of the lid in the closed position thereof overlies the bellows folded end portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body. In one embodiment of the invention each side flap consists of two elements hinged one to the other, one to the closure panel, and one to the mouth end of a side of the body. The closure panel in the infolded position thereof may extend across the mouth from the front of the body to a position closely adjacent to the rear of the body. If desired, a flap hinged to the edge of the closure panel opposite the hinge thereof may be folded to underlie the bellows folded end portion of the liner.

The lid may be provided with slitlike openings which extend respectively along the sidewalls of the lid at the junctions of the sidewalls with the top, each said opening extending partly along a sidewall from the junction at the top with the front wall of the lid. The closure panel may be provided with laterally extending tabs arranged to extend into said openings to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof.

A region of the closure panel may be adhered to the inner side of the top of the lid and be separable from the closure panel on opening of the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a blank for a carton according to the invention,

FIG. 2 illustrates the blank of FIG. 1 provided with a tubular liner and in the collapsed condition prior to setting-up of the carton,

FIG. 3 illustrates the mouth end ofthe carton of FIG. 2 prior to closing of the mouth end of the liner,

FIG. 4 illustrates the closing of the mouth end ofthe liner,

FIG. 5 illustrates the mouth end of the liner closed preparatory to closing of the lid,

FIG. 6 illustrates the mouth end ofthe carton with the lid in the closed position thereof,

FIG. 7 illustrates a part of a modified form of the blank of FIG. 1,

FIG. 8 is a part of a further modified form of the blank shown in FIG. 1, 1

FIG. 9 illustrates the closing of the mouth of the liner when the blank has the form shown in FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 illustrates a part of a still further modified form of the blank shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 11 illustrates the mouth end of the carton formed from the blank of FIG. 10 preparatory to closing of the lid,

FIG. 12 illustrates a pan of another modified form of blank, and

F IG. 13 illustrates the mouth end of the carton formed from the blank of FIG. 12 preparatory to closing of the lid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the blank shown in FIG. 1 consists of a body rear panel 1 to which body sides 2 and 3 are hingedly connected by scores or creases 4,5. A body front 6 is hingedly connected at 7 to the side 3 and a securing flap 8 is hinged at 9 to the side 2. The lid for the carton is to be formed from a top 10 hinged at 11 to the mouth end of the rear panel 1 of the body, a front wall 12 hinged at 13 to the top 10, sidewalls 14,15 hinged respectively at 16,17 to the top 10, and securing flaps 18,19 hinged respectively at 20,21 to the front wall 12. If desired, a reinforcing fiap 22, shown by broken lines, may be hinged at 23 to the front wall 12 and the flap 22, when provided, will be folded against the inside of the front wall 12. The blank is also provided with a closure panel 24 hinged at 25 to the body front 6 and side flaps indicated by the general references 26,27. Each side flap consists of two elements 28,29 hinged one to the other at 30, one 28 directly to the closure panel at 31 and one indirectly at 32 through the securing flap 8 when secured to the closure panel, and one 29 to the mouth ends of the body sides 2,3 at 33 and 34 respectively.

The bottom of the carton is closed in any desired manner forming no part of the present invention but in FIG. 1 the blank is shown as being provided with bottom closing elements similar to the parts 24,26, and 27 described above and with a bottom panel 37.

FIG. 2 illustrates the blank of FIG. 1 folded to form a flattened tube by sealing, as by an adhesive, of the sealing flap 8 to the body front 6 and assembled with a flattened tubular liner 38. The tubular liner 38 has an end portion 39 which extends out of the mouth of the body, see FIG. 3, and the end portion 39 is closed, FIG. 4, by infolding over the mouth the side flaps 26,27 and the closure panel 24. During infolding of the side flaps 26,27 the end portion 39 is folded to form opposed bellows folds 40,41 and the closure panel 24 closes the bellows folds. The length of the end portion 39 is such that when it is closed as just described there is closed free end portion 42, FIG. 5, which closing of the lid causes to overlie the folded closure panel 24, FIG. 5. In the closed position of the lid, FIG. 6, the top 10 lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body and the front wall 12 and sidewalls 14,15 respectively overlie the front 6 and the sides 2,3 of the body.

Because the side flaps 26,27 each consist of two elements hinged one to the other at 30, one to the closure panel at 31,32, and one to the mouth end of a side 2,3 of the body infolding of the closure panel 24 effects the simultaneous folding of the end portion 39 by the panel 24 and side flaps 26,27. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the closure panel 24 in the infolded position thereof extends across the mouth of the body from the front 6 of the body to a position closely adjacent to the rear 1 of the body.

In a modified form of the carton a flap 43, shown in FIG. 11, and in broken lines in FIG. 1, is hinged at 44 to the closure panel 24 and this flap 43 is upstanding when the closure flap 24 is infolded as shown in FIG. 11. Closing of the lid causes the flap 43 to be folded together with the free closed end por tion 42 so that the flap 43 underlies the free closed end portion 42 when the lid is closed.

It will be understood that the closed end portion 42 of the liner may be left unsealed or it may be sealed, for example, by adhesive or by heat-sealing if the liner is made of heat-sealable material. If the closed portion 42 of the liner is sealed, the end portion 42 may be torn above the adjacent edge of the closure panel 24 to leave a portion which may be folded over the edge of the panel 24 on reclosing of the carton. If desired, the portion 42 shown in FIG. 11 may be folded over the flap 43 so that when the lid is closed, the portion 42 is located and gripped between the closure panel 24 and the flap 43. In this instance if the end portion 42 is sealed it may be torn against the edge of the flap 43.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 5, the closure panel 24 is provided with a region 35, defined by a score or cuts 36, which can be adhered to the inner side of the top of the lid, when the latter is closed, and which is separable from the panel 24 on opening of the lid. This facilitates retention of the lid in the closed position thereof. Alternatively the lid may be provided with slitlike openings 45, FIG. 11, the blank being in this respect similar to FIG. 10, which extend respectively along the sidewalls 14,15 of the lid at the junction of the sidewalls with the top 10 and each opening 45 extends partly along a sidewall from the junction of the top 10 with the front wall 12. The closure panel 24 in this instance is provided with laterally extending tabs 46, FIGS. 10 and 11, which when the lid is closed extend into the openings 45 to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified form of the blank from which the mouth end of the carton may be formed. The blank is generally similar to that of FIG. 1, but, as shown in full lines, the lid sidewalls 14,15 extend to the securing flaps 18,19 and are separated therefrom by slits 47,48. Alternatively, the flaps 14,15 may be hinged to the flaps 18,19 by creases or scores, which replace the slits 47,48 and the flaps 18,19 will then be separated from the front wall 12 by slits which replace the scores or creases 16,17. The elements 28 may extend for only a part of the height of the closure panel 24, as shown in FIG. 7, or they may extend for the full height of the closure panel.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a modified embodiment of the carton in which the closure panel 24 extends only partly across the mouth of the body and the side flaps 26,27 are single flaps of triangular form which are hinged only to the sides 2,3 of the body. With this embodiment the side flaps 26,27 are first in folded to form the bellows folds 40,41 and the closure flap is then infolded over the flaps 26,27. Final closing of the end portion of the liner is effected by closing of the lid which causes the bellows folded end portion to be over the infolded closure panel 24.

FIGS. 10 to 13 illustrate further modified forms of the mouth end of a blank in which the sidewalls 14,15 are hinged to the front wall 12 of the lid, and the elements 28,29 each have an element 49 hinged thereto at 50 and arranged to be secured, as by adhesive, to the liner when this is assembled with the blank.

' It will be understood that many modifications may be made to the carton within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A four-sided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged respectively to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged to overlie the front and the sides of the body, wherein a tubular liner is housed in the body, a closure panel hinged to the mouth end of the front wall is infolded to overlie mouth side flaps infolded from the sidewalls, an end portion of the liner is bellows folded and overlies the infolded closure panel, and the top of the lid in the closed position thereof overlies the bellows folded end portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body, each side flap consisting of two elements hinged one to the other, one to the closure panel and one to the mouth end of a side of the body, said closure panel in the infolded position thereof extending across the mouth from the front of the body to a position closely adjacent the rear of the body, a flap hinged to the edge of the closure panel opposite the hinge thereof being folded to underlie the bellows infolded end portion of the liner.

2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein the lid is provided with slitlike openings which extend respectively along the sidewalls of the lid at the junctions of the sidewalls with the top, each said opening extending partly along a sidewall from the junction of the top with the front wall of the lid.

3. A canon according to claim 2, wherein the closure panel is provided with laterally extending tabs arranged to extend into said openings to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof.

4. A carton according to claim 1, wherein a region of the closure panel is adhered to the inner side of the top of the lid and is separable from the closure panel on opening of the lid.

5. A four-sided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged respectively to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged to overlie the front and sides of the body wherein a tubular liner is housed in the body, a closure panel hinged to the mouth end of the front wall is infolded to overlie. mouth side flaps infolded from the sidewalls, an end portion of the liner is bellows folded and overlies the infolded closure panel, and the top of the lid in the closed position thereof overlies the bellows folded end portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body, said lid being provided with slitlike openings which extend respectively along the sidewalls of the lid at the junctions of the sidewalls with the top, each said opening extending partly along a sidewall from the junction of the top with the front wall of the lid.

6. A carton according to claim 5, wherein the closure panel is provided with laterally extending tabs arranged to extend into said openings to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof. 

1. A four-sided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged respectively to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged to overlie the front and the sides of the body, wherein a tubular liner is Housed in the body, a closure panel hinged to the mouth end of the front wall is infolded to overlie mouth side flaps infolded from the sidewalls, an end portion of the liner is bellows folded and overlies the infolded closure panel, and the top of the lid in the closed position thereof overlies the bellows folded end portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body, each side flap consisting of two elements hinged one to the other, one to the closure panel and one to the mouth end of a side of the body, said closure panel in the infolded position thereof extending across the mouth from the front of the body to a position closely adjacent the rear of the body, a flap hinged to the edge of the closure panel opposite the hinge thereof being folded to underlie the bellows infolded end portion of the liner.
 2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein the lid is provided with slitlike openings which extend respectively along the sidewalls of the lid at the junctions of the sidewalls with the top, each said opening extending partly along a sidewall from the junction of the top with the front wall of the lid.
 3. A carton according to claim 2, wherein the closure panel is provided with laterally extending tabs arranged to extend into said openings to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof.
 4. A carton according to claim 1, wherein a region of the closure panel is adhered to the inner side of the top of the lid and is separable from the closure panel on opening of the lid.
 5. A four-sided rectangular carton comprising a body having a mouth arranged to be closed by a lid hinged to the mouth end of the rear of the body and which has a top arranged respectively to overlie the mouth and a front wall and sidewalls arranged to overlie the front and sides of the body wherein a tubular liner is housed in the body, a closure panel hinged to the mouth end of the front wall is infolded to overlie mouth side flaps infolded from the sidewalls, an end portion of the liner is bellows folded and overlies the infolded closure panel, and the top of the lid in the closed position thereof overlies the bellows folded end portion of the liner and the closure panel and lies in a plane substantially at right-angles to the sides of the body, said lid being provided with slitlike openings which extend respectively along the sidewalls of the lid at the junctions of the sidewalls with the top, each said opening extending partly along a sidewall from the junction of the top with the front wall of the lid.
 6. A carton according to claim 5, wherein the closure panel is provided with laterally extending tabs arranged to extend into said openings to facilitate retention of the lid in the closed position thereof. 